Requirements:
Sylvain/Hilda - B
Sylvain/Marianne - B
Sylvain/Bernadetta - B
Hilda/Marianne - B
C-Support:
Marianne: Hilda, what are you doing?
Hilda: Oh hey Marianne! I found this book manuscript in the library, and the story was so good! The drawings were super cute, and I thought it might be fun to help give the cover a little flare, you know!
Marianne: I see. In that case -
Hilda: Hey, why don't you stay and chat?
Marianne: Won't I be bothering you?
Hilda: Marianne, you never bother me. I could use the company anyways.
Marianne: If you say so…
*transition to behind a bookcase*
Bernadetta: Oh no Bernie, you left your book out. Again! What if someone else reads it...what's that...Hilda has it?
Bernadetta: What is she doing? Oh, is she writing on it? Oh I bet they're death threats and hate-notes and death notes! Oh Bernie, what are you going to do!
*Marianne pops around the corner*
Marianne: EEP!
Bernadetta: WAH! GHOST! DON'T KILL ME!
*Hilda appears*
Hilda: Marianne are you okay?
Bernadetta: Oh no! I saw what you did! You won't get me this time!
*Bernadetta runs off*
Hilda: I wonder what that was about…
*Sylvain enters*
Sylvain: Hey Hilda, hey Marianne. Fancy meeting you two here.
Hilda: Sylvain!
Marianne: …
Hilda: Say, Sylvain. Marianne and I just had the weirdest encounter with Bernadetta.
Sylvain: Let me guess, you accidentally spooked her and she ran off shouting. Does that sound about right, Marianne?
Marianne: ...I didn't mean to scare her…
Sylvain: Trust me, that girl is probably afraid of her own shadow.
Hilda: Yeah, whatever happened isn't your fault.
Sylvain: So, what did happen?
Hilda: I was just helping spice up the cover on this manuscript I found lying around, and Marianne thought she heard something, right?
Marianne: I thought I heard mumbling around the corner, so I went to see if someone needed help…
Hilda: And Marianne and Bernadetta scared each other, and then Bernadetta ran off!
Sylvain: Hmm...can I see that book for a second?
Hilda: This one?
Sylvain: ...yup. I thought so.
Marianne: Is something wrong with the book?
Sylvain: Bernadetta wrote it.
Hilda: Really? I had no idea she was so talented!
Sylvain: It sounds like she was working on some edits and left it in the library on the table. When she saw you and Marianne working on it, she thought you knew it was hers and were attacking it.
Marianne: We would never do such a thing!
Hilda: Marianne's right! We just wanted to...bedazzle it a bit!
Sylvain: I'd suggest leaving either leaving the book here or outside of her room after you finish your work with a note. Talk to her later once that's done.
Hilda: Is that what you did?
Sylvain: Yup! ...granted, Bernadetta hasn't really talked to me since, but she got her book back and doesn't have a look of abject terror on her face when I say hello.
Hilda: I guess it's worth a try, right Marianne?
Marianne: R-right…
Sylvain: Well, I'll leave you two to it!
Hilda: Thank's Sylvain!
Sylvain: Anything for three lovely ladies!
*Sylvain leaves*
Hilda: Minimal flirting, actual help, maybe Sylvain is turning his act around!
Marianne: Can I read the book when you're done with it?
Hilda: You mean Bernadetta's book? Absolutely!
Marianne: I'll write the note and leave it on her door.
Hilda: Thank you Marianne! I'd offer, but my hands will be so sore after finishing this.
*Hilda leaves*
*Marianne smiles*
Marianne: Hilda, I'm sure your hands will be fine…
B-Support:
Male Student: Really, you wrote this trash?
Bernadetta: I...I…
Female Student: It's so bad! You would be better burning it than writing again!
Bernadetta: It's…
*Hilda, Marianne, and Sylvain appear*
Hilda: Hey, what's going on.
Female Student: Nothing that concerns you!
Sylvain: A see someone getting harassed, I think this concerns us just fine.
Male Student: We were just making sure that we had identified the correct writer for this book.
Hilda: That's-
Female Student: 'Dear Bernadetta. I am sorry about the other day. Here is your book. I hope you enjoy the cover and jewels, and I hope you continue writing. Your works inspire me to be better.' What a load of garbage!
Sylvain: What was that?
Male: This book is trash! Anyone with half a brain can see that.
*Bernadetta starts crying*
*Hilda goes to comfort Bernadetta*
Hilda: Bernadetta! Look at how you're making her feel!
Female Student: It's better she learn this now rather than-
Marianne: That's enough!
Everyone: *shocked (Pikachu) face(s)*
Marianne: Bernadetta put her heart and soul into that book. Hilda put her passion into bringing that cover to life. Who are you to criticize it? If you want to be critics, write your own works first!
Bernadetta: Marianne...Hilda…
Sylvain: Well said Marianne.
Male Student: *tch* We don't have to deal with this.
Sylvain: How about a little sparring match? Us versus you.
Male Student: What?
Sylvain: If we win, you'll not only leave Bernadetta and the rest of these lovely ladies alone for the rest of your time here at the academy, you'll also write an apology for the one you hurt the most here.
Female Student: Why would we agree to that?
Hilda: I don't think that will be a problem.
Male Student: Oh?
Hilda: Sylvain, can you be a dear and explain?
Sylvain: Hilda, it would be my pleasure. You have three high ranking nobles from one each from the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Alliance. Do you really want to test our political connections? Because I'm sure we can make life much more difficult for you going forward. A duel is so much simpler, right?
Female Student: Two against three isn't very fair.
Sylvain: Bring whoever you want. I'm sure that us here can handle it just fine.
Male Student: Fine, you better get ready though, because we're not going easy on you!
*Male and Female Student leave*
Hilda: They're gone now Bernadetta.
Bernadetta: ...thank you…
Sylvain: Hey, I'm just doing what any respectable man would!
Hilda: Would a respectable man send such a delicate flower to a duel?
Marianne: Will we really be able to win…? I won't be of much help…
Hilda: Nonsense Marianne! Your presence will give us all the strength we need! Come on, let's help Bernadetta to her room and go prepare.
Pre-Battle Dialogue:
*Marianne, Sylvain, and Hilda appear*
*Multiple enemies appear*
Hilda: Sylvain this is all your fault!
Sylvain: When I said "bring whoever you want," I didn't think they'd bring so many students…
Marianne: ...are those students…?
Hilda: Now that I look at them, those aren't students at all!
Male Student: You said "bring whoever you want," not that they had to be students!
Female Student: So we recovered a few of our house's retainers, hired a mercenary group or two, and here we are!
Sylvain: Following the letter but not the spirit I see...
Marianne: ...can we really win…?
Hilda: Ugh, this is such a drag...
Sylvain: We have no choice but to do so now. Let's go!
*Two turns into the battle*
Bernadetta: Come on Bernie, you can do this! Hilda made your book beautiful, Marianne stood up for you, and Sylvain even made them agree to protect you! The least you can do is fight with them!
Hilda: Is that...Bernadetta?!
Male Student: Hey, that's against the rules!
Bernadetta: Syl-Sylvain said that "I'm sure that us here can handle it." He never said a number! And I was there!
Sylvain: Well said Bernadetta!
Hilda: Come on Bernadetta, let's show them what us girls can do!
Bernadetta: Right!
*After Male and Female Student are defeated*
Post-Battle Dialogue:
Male Student: Ugh, come on, this isn't worth it.
Female Student: Yeah, let's get out of here.
Sylvain: Hey, don't forget about your part of the deal now!
Hilda: Well, that settles that!
Marianne: Thank you Bernadetta…
Bernadetta: Oh..it's...I-
Hilda: Coming in to help us? It's totally unlike you! It was so cool!
Sylvain: Really like the heroine in your book, right?
Bernadetta: I...it's...oh...can we head back now…?
Hilda: Yeah, let's go back. I'm all sweaty!
A-Support:
*Marianne, Bernadetta, and Hilda are walking forward*
*Sylvain walks up to them*
Sylvain: Hey ladies, going anywhere special?
Hilda: Hey Sylvain! We're just going to town. It's time we show Bernadetta's book off to the world!
Bernadetta: Hilda thinks it'll be a good experience for me…
Sylvain: Really?
Hilda: Yup! Marianne's going to read it!
Marianne: Hilda thinks it'll be a good experience for me…
Sylvain: Now I really can't believe it. Hilda, you are truly someone special.
Sylvain: Speaking of the book, have those two students bothered you three at all?
Bernadetta: No...I see them, and then they look at me afraid and run away!
Marianne: They do the same with me.
Bernadetta: It's so weird! Such an overreaction. It's not like I bite...
Hilda: You two are unbelievable. But yes, we're fine.
Sylvain: In that case, have a great time.
Bernadetta: You're not joining us?
Sylvain: I have a date with a lovely knight that I have to prepare for. But you three have fun!
*Sylvain leaves*
Hilda: Sylvain, never change…
*transition to town*
*The girls are surrounded by children*
Marianne: 'and she took a step once more into a brave new world.'
Marianne: The end.
*cheering*
Child: That was great! Will you write more stories, lady?
Hilda: The writer is actually right over there!
Child: Really? Are you going to write more stories?
Bernadetta: I...I…
Bernadetta: I think I will!
Child: Yay! I want to listen to all of them!
*transition to monastery*
Bernadetta: That. Was. Crazy!
Marianne: I know what you mean...I don't think I can do that again…
Hilda: But you two did great! Bernadetta, you faced down a crowd! I know you can do anything!
Hilda: Marianne, you spoke so well! And you really got into character!
Marianne: *blushing* …
Bernadetta: They really loved your cover Hilda.
Hilda: I was just working with what was already there.
Bernadetta: I, I know we're not that close, but...do you think we can do this again sometime?
Hilda: Why not?
Marianne: ...I'd like to do so too…
Hilda: In that case we definitely have to do so!
*Minor Noble Battalion gained!*
Author's Notes:
While the story was set in stone when I drafted it, I wasn't sure if this would be a Marianne/Hilda/Bernadetta Trio or a Hilda/Sylvain/Bernadetta trio of sorts. I didn't want a Four-Person Support, because once I start doing those, I won't be able to stop; and the buck needs to stop somewhere! Ultimately I ended up making it a Hilda/Sylvain/Marianne Support about ended up working out really well, since Bernie is such a flighty character. Making her run away and have people talk about her without her present made things far easier. And in the end, she still got her time to shine!
Bernadetta will have another support later on, probably with Marianne and Ashe. I really like the idea of having the focus of most of the trios being members of the three houses. Enjoying these before the timeskip (and some after) would really help emphasize the brutality of war, especially for first-time players.
It was hard to get the characters down this support. Their voices were easy to find, but I also needed to make sure that the voices were accurate to the time. For example, Marianne's voice feels a lot more like Part 2 Marianne to me than Part 1. And Bernie is a little braver than usual as well.
Sylvain isn't nearly as flirty or D-Baggy, but that's on purpose. I wanted Sylvain to have more of a "charming brother's best friend" vibe, especially since he can't end up with any of the three ladies. This really comes through to me when Sylvain mentions that he'd help out all three of the gals even when Bernadette herself isn't present, as well as when he checks up on the girls post-battle to make sure the bullies had followed through with their end of the deal. (If not, Hilda would have gotten Holst and her father to take care of it somehow.)
I really wanted this battle to be exclusive to Marianne, Hilda, and Bernadetta if they were a Holy Knight, Great Knight, and Bow Knight exclusively, but that's going a little too far IMO, and it doesn't even fit the timeframe or feeling of the story well. The challenge needed to happen in the first half of the game; having it in the second half makes no sense. Why would knights care about what a noble wrote, especially if it doesn't impact them? And having a second fight in Part 2 would make no sense. It's better to scrap it than force something that shouldn't be.
Sylvain's role in this support was something I debated for a LONG whilte. Having him show up with the three girls he can only B-Support felt sort of fun, but I didn't want him to overpower the support either. Sylvain showing up to be the "white knight" works, but it didn't feel right. So I had him sit most of this one out...unless players have gotten him to a B-Support with all three women. Then he can step in and help out for a bit.